Cigs, cash and phones stolen in smash and grab raids on Hartlepool Tesco

Tesco in Burn Road, Hartlepool, which has been targeted twice by thieves this week.

The two break-ins happened at the Tesco store in Burn Road, Hartlepool, this week.

The first, at 3.35am on Monday, saw two men smash a window at the front of the store to gain entry.

Once inside, a shutter behind the service desk was forced open and cigarettes and tobacco worth £2,900 were stolen.

The men then fled, one onto Burn Road and the other in the direction of the A689.

One of the suspects is described as slim, around 5ft 9in tall, wearing a blue coat with black sleeves and a hood, blue tracksuit bottoms and black trainers. He was carrying large bags as he approached the store.

The second is slim, around 5ft 9in tall, wearing a black jacket with the hood up, blue Adidas tracksuit bottoms and black trainers.

He was also wearing a black woollen hat and a black scarf over his face, and carrying a pick axe as he approached the store.

Around two minutes after the pair left the store, a third man is seen on CCTV entering though the same broken window.

He also stole cigarettes and tobacco, and fled in the direction of the A689.

This man is described as 5ft 10in tall, slim, and wearing a black hooded top with the hood up, dark bottoms, black and white trainers and black gloves.

The second raid happened at 1.20am today, when two men smashed the window to the front of the store with a hammer.

The raiders stole a large quantity of cigarettes from behind the service desk, around £1,000 worth of coins from tills and a number of cordless phones from a display including an I-DECT cordless phone, a Binatone caller blocker triple and BT 3950 cordless phones.

Both headed off towards the A689.

The first man was of medium build, around 6ft tall, wearing a black hooded top with the hood up, blue jeans and black Nike trainers, and carrying bags.

The second was 6ft tall, of medium build, wearing a grey and navy tracksuit top, blue jeans, and carrying a burgundy duvet cover.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Constable Andrew Morland of Hartlepool Volume Crime Team on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.